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College Writing Previous Units




Rhetorical Analysis of Political Communication
This is the assignment.  Here is the rubric for grading.

Let's begin by analyzing the two major political parties: who they are, what audiences they are trying to reach and what messages they are trying to send.
You can check out any one of thousands of other sites by typing in "Presidential race" or "political analysis" into any good search engine.

Now it's time to look at writing the essay. Get started with this essay on how to write a rhetorical analysis (also here in Word). This has a list of sixteen questions to ask. Come up with your top eight essential questions by consolidating some and eliminating others. Put them in your own words.

More Help
Research Project: Changing My World

The Tipping Point
Discussions of the chapters will take place in class and on the discussion boards on turnitin.com. Here is the Forum Rubric to show how your comments will be graded. Points will be awarded towards the end of the project.

Selecting Your Topic
Here is a handout on the criteria for a good topic. Once you have selected your topic, fill out the Topic Worksheet.

Problem Analysis
In many research projects, this section is known as the Literature Review. It is a comprehensive look at what we already know about a particular topic. Answer the eight questions on this web track to learn more about what to include in a literature review.
Here is the sample Googledoc on profanity. It is very similar to a wiki, but offers more control on who can edit it. Here is the rubric to score your group's Google doc.
Individually, you will create a Pathfinder using this template. Here is the scoring guide-rubric for your Pathfinder. Writing in Formal Tone
Scientific writing requires a more formal voice and tone than the other writing we have done so far this year. This website from Washburn University shows five levels of formality in writing with lots of examples. You can also get my handout on creating formal tone for more suggestions on how to sound like an expert scientist. Here is a handout on APA In-Text Citation that also has tips on how to cue your reader about when you start and stop using a source.

Tipping a Change
We will start our plan for tipping ideas or behaviors by deciding what change is our goal, who we want to change and how we will accomplish this. This portion of the project is called Scope and Methodology. This link will show you the assignment sheet and sample combined. You must open it in Microsoft Word and turn on the Reviewing toolbar (under the View menu) in order to see the comments which describe the assignment. You can look at the rubric for the Scope and Methodology section.
You will need to gather data in order to determine the extent of the problem in your target audience and to measure your ability to change them. Here are the lecture notes on Data Collection or get them in PowerPoint. Here is a Sample Survey to view.

Results and Conclusions The end is in sight!  Here is the assignment. Here is the Web Page Example. This is the Scoring Rubric. 
Here are some websites with good suggestions for writing results and conclusions
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Briefly discusses all the research components. Concentrate on the sections labled Results and Discussion, which is another name for conclusions and recommendations.
Nebraska Wesleyan
Another good overall look at research. They also call Conclusions "Discussion," but there are good, practical tips. You can ignore what it says about tables and graphs.
University of Idaho
This site focuses only on Conclusions and Recommendations and has samples for each.
Pellissippi State Technical CC
Look under Results for some particularly good suggestions for using charts and graphs.
Student Literature Reviews
Student Project Presentations
Modern Literary Theory and The Catcher in the Rye

In this unit, we will read one of the most popular novels in American Literature: The Catcher in the Rye. Here are some places that can help you in your reading. None of them is a substitute for the reading itself, of course.
  • Sparknotes has good insights. Check out the entire site for help with lots of subjects including literature.
  • Novelguide is also good, although limited to literature.
  • Get my study guide or get in here in Word.


We will learn about various literary "schools" and apply one of these theories to J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye. Although there are dozens of different approaches, we will concentrate on these:
Formalism (New Criticism), Feminist (Gender Theory, Queer Theory), Marxist, Psychoanalytic (Freudian, Lacanian), and Existential/Phenomonlogy
Here is a Sample Group Presentation on the The Catcher in the Rye using all five theories. Want to know how to get a good grade? Here is the group evaluation.
SAT and ACT Essay Writing
Like it or not. standardized tests are a reality for college admissions. Both the SAT and ACT have added essay writing to their tests, so it's helpful to prepare yourself for what they expext. Begin by filling out this Anticipation Guide (or get it here for your word processor) to check what you think you know and then looking at what each company has to say about their test: Now let's see what others have to say. There are dozens of "test prep" sites, but most are selling a product or service. Here are a few that offer free, useful tips and practice:
Top of Page Resume

Here is the Cover Letter and Resume Checklist (also in Word) which deals with both the resume and cover letter since they must be submitted together in a single file to turnitin.com.
Start by looking for a job you might be interested in getting. Choose something you could actually qualify for now or within the next year. (So don't pick something that requires a college degree, for example.) There are lots of places to find jobs; just type in "tucson," "employment," and "ads" in you favorite search engine and you will find several thousand sites. Here are two: Let's begin the resume by reviewing what our skills are. Here is a great list from Purdue University's Online Writing Lab. Here's another skills checklist that also includes lots of great action verbs, but be careful to take of the "ability to" wording!
Here's a great site for both resume and cover letter advice and samples: Jobstar and here is one that discusses different ways to format both.

Resumes: Here are some helpful sites for creating your resume. Start by completing this track on resumes. Present your skills and accomplishments in a forceful way using dynamic action verbs. Don't forget to look at a variety of format techniques: chronological, skills, etc.
University of Scranton
This site has everything! They include writing and formatting tips, samples, checklists and more.
How to write a good job objective
You should start with your job objective and here is some great advice from monster.com. Be sure to look at the samples to compare those that emphasize the job versus those that focus on your skills.
Format advice
Discusses formats: differences between chronological and skills format, etc.
Tips for Skills Format
Specific examples on how to highlight skills and accomplishments at the same time.
Section Advice
Good section by section advice, from objective to interests
Style Advice
Specific tips on writing, like using action verbs and avoiding saying "I" and "me" too much. Also look at their advice for creating scannable resumes.
Action Verbs
A great list of verbs with synonyms so you don't repeat yourself.
Bad Examples
Resumania has lots of examples of what not to do
Bad Resume
Here is an entire resume filled with mistakes and how to fix them
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Cover Letters:
The cover letter works with the resume. Cover Letters target specific jobs and can explain things in detail that resumes can't. Remember to research the job and company before writing the cover letter. Here are some sites to help:
University of Wisconsin Writer's Handbook
A good start. Check out "Some Questions to Ask" before you begin writing.
Monster.com Articles on Cover Letters
Links to lots of articles and samples.
Jobstar (again)
Lots of good advice. Follow the "Dynamic Cover Letters" link to learn the four paragraph formula. You are required to use this formula in your letter.
My Future
Uses the formula with good advice for each paragraph.
Top of Page College Plan
You can start by thinking about careers you might want to pursue (or just confirm your choice if you already know what you want to do). Here are some websites that might help you find some careers to consider and help you find out more about them. Kuder
Kuder can help you select both careers and colleges that might interest you. The N number is N982889KAX.
Arizona Career Information System
AZCIS allows you to search for careers similarly to Kuder, but with more career choices. It can also help you search for schools. The username = canyondohs and password = 4azcis02
Occupational Outlook Handbook
The Department of Labor's latest research into careers.
O-Net (Formerly the Dictionary of Occupational Titles
This government site covers nearly any career you can think of, but isn't as in-depth as the OOH.
Jung/Meyers-Briggs Personality Test
Career Ship
Short reports on jobs in easy-to-understand categories. It has fun graphics, too!
BLS Tables
The Bureau of Labor Statistics' most requested tables list; see the fastest growing occupations and other useful information.
State Projections
See occupation growth by state. Useful in finding out if your dream job is available in your dream location. Now you can start thinking about schools that will help you towards that career (and more).
Begin by narrowing down schools you might be interested in and finding more about them. Start by filling out the College Plan Worksheet or get it here in word.
Still confused about what your major should be? Try My Majors which asks typical profile questions and gives you suggestions on majors that might suit you.
Besides Kuder, you can also look at these sites. They have lots of tips for test preparation, applications and more.
College Board's Advanced Search.
The Princeton Review offers help on selecting a major and finding schools. They rank the 331 Best Schools in the US, plus rank by quality of life, party scene and more.
U. S. News and World Report also ranks schools, including the best business and engineering programs as well as which school's students have the biggest loans!
Go College also offers searches on a variety of topics.
Any College lets you search for colleges and scholarships.
FastWeb claims to be the largest scholarship search.
In addition to information from Kuder and these websites, you might also want to visit the College and University Homepage to find the home page of nearly every school in the US.
Take a look at business plans.
1. First, look at these samples. In particular, go to the Hair and Beauty Salon under Beauty Salon and Day Spa. It's well written and easy to follow. What exactly are they looking to accomplish with their plan? What parts of the plan seem most persuasive to you?
2. Next, go here to see guidelines for writing plans. Concentrate on the sections labled "General Guidelines" and, under Introductory Contents, "Executive Summary". How will you adapt your style of writing for the career plan? Why do you think they suggest writing the summary last?
Here is the College Presentation Assignment. Additional tips and suggestions can be found in the Sample Presentation. Make sure to review the boldface comments in the script. See the sample presentation script. Here is the content rubric. Here is the speech rubric which covers delivery, or you can get it in Word here. Here is the speech rubric, or you can get it in Word here.

Tucson College Night List

College Application Essays
Here's the assignment and the rubric I'll score it with. Note: In addition to the sites below, the University of Arizona has an excellent page with lots of links to help write their personal essay. In particular, look at the Personal Statement Workbook for help from start to finish.
    A. Let's begin by thinking about what college admissions officers (or scholarship committees) are looking for in the essays they require.
  1. Read the tips and examples from Stephen Wilburs.
  2. Next, take a look at the first lesson from Essay Edge. Ignore the hard sell of their service, these are good tips. Focus on figuring out who is actually reading these things and what they're after.
  3. Now let's focus on picking a prompt and developing a strategy to answer it. Look at lesson two from Essay Edge. Follow all the links in this lesson to get help deciding what to write about.
  4. Still confused on what to write about? Try this Application Brainstorming Activity.

    B. Time to write.
  1. Look at this section on stucture and organization. You should skim all the links, but pay particular attention to the suggestions for short essays. Make sure you look at the examples for various organizational strategies, but don't follow too closely or you'll should formulaic.
  2. Once the body is drafted, you can work on the beginning and ending. This lesson focuses on why introductions and conclusions should be written together and has suggestions for both.
  3. More good advice on conclusions in general from The Write Place.

    C.Focus on language.
  1. Now that you have a complete draft, you should look at these tips for style and tone.
  2. Here are some tips on voice from Petersons (via Yahoo).

    D. Finally, you'll begin to polish your essay.
  1. You've finally got a first draft of your essay, but many writers find it difficult to say what they want within the word limit. Look at Purdue University's suggestions for reducing wordiness or try these tips from the University of Toronto.
  2. Here are some final considerations in editing and revising.
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Self Exploration
Personal inventories can often help you to gain greater insights into who you are and what is important to you. Here are some different kinds of "tests":
Multiple Intellegences Inventory
Be sure to follow the link to read about the eight styles of learning to help interpret your results. The link on the Sternberg-Wagner Thinking Styles Inventory is also useful.
True Colors Personality Test
This is an interesting theory. Click here for color meanings.
Humanmetrics
This checklist is based on traditional psychological theory and tests. Here is an overview of the psychological criteria

Resume Help

Get the grade checklist for the resume or see it in Word here.
Let's begin by reviewing what our skills are. Here is a great list from Purdue University's Online Writing Lab. Here's another skills checklist that also includes lots of great action verbs!
Here's a great site for both resume and cover letter advice and samples: Jobstar and here is one that discusses different ways to format both.

Resumes: Here are some helpful sites for creating your resume. Present your skills and accomplishments in a forceful way using dynamic action verbs. Don't forget to look at a variety of format techniques: chronological, skills, etc.
University of Scranton
This site has everything! They include writing and formatting tips, samples, checklists and more.
How to write a good job objective
You should start with your job objective and here is some great advice from monster.com. Be sure to look at the samples to compare those that emphasize the job versus those that focus on your skills.
Format advice
Discusses formats: differences between chronological and skills format, etc.
Tips for Skills Format
Specific examples on how to highlight skills and accomplishments at the same time.
Section Advice
Good section by section advice, from objective to interests
Style Advice
Specific tips on writing, like using action verbs and avoiding saying "I" and "me" too much. Also look at their advice for creating scannable resumes.
Bad Examples
Resumania has lots of examples of what not to do
Bad Resume
Here is an entire resume filled with mistakes and how to fix them

Cover Letters:
The cover letter is optional for extra-credit. Here is the Cover Letter and Resume Checklist which deals with both the resume and cover letter since they must be submitted together in a single file to turnitin.com.
Cover Letters target specific jobs and can explain things that resumes can't. Remember to research the job and company before writing the cover letter. Here are some sites to help:
University of Wisconsin Writer's Handbook
A good start. Check out "Some Questions to Ask" before you begin writing.
Art and Science of Cover Letters
Comprehensive look at style and form with links to lots of examples.
Jobstar (again)
Lots of good advice. Follow the "Dynamic Cover Letters" link to learn the four paragraph formula. You are required to use this formula in your letter.
My Future
Uses the formula with good advice for each paragraph.
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Writing a Short Story Critique
In this unit, we will look at what "good" literature is and develop techniques to interpret and evaluate it. You will focus on the short story you selected. Then, we will see what other critics have to say about the author and the story and decide how our evaluation fits within the body of opinion. Here is the critique assignment or see it in Word. Here is the grading rubric.
Let's start by finding meaning in the story.
    Here are some sites with information to consider when trying to interpret a work of literature:
  • Open Class from Norway has a good overview of the elements of fiction and what to look for in them.
  • Fictionsite looks at story construction from a writer's perspective.
  • John Jay College offers a list of questions to ask when interpreting literature.


Let's get some help with thesis statements:

Literary Criticism
The best place to start looking for literary criticism is with the print materials in the CDO library. Here are a few of the many places you can go on the web to find additional resources:

Now it's time to think about body paragraphs.
  • Here are tips from the University of Illinois on organizing ideas from paragraph to paragraph and within paragraphs.
  • Check out this site from Chabot College about thePIE Technique. It has other good links to writing tips on the left.
  • If your paragraphs seem disorganized, try this organizer for your body paragraphs or get it here in Word.
  • Here is a sample body paragraph on "A&P" that is highlighted to demonstrate both the PIE technique and the SUE technique we disucssed in class.


Let's get some help with writing introductions.
  • This site answers lots of questions on what an introduction should do, how long it should be and more;
  • this Word document from East Carolina University also does an excellent job discussing what should be in an introduction.
  • This site from California State University of Los Angeles lists different types of introductory techniques. In order to see examples, follow the "tell me more" links.
  • Use this Form or get it here in Word to help organize your ideas on the first page and write the actual paragraph on the second.
  • Here is a sample introduction on "A&P."


At last it's time to write the conclusion.

Finally, titles never get much consideration, but follow the link "What's in a Name" for some tips on writing a great one. Don't forget: it's the first thing your audience reads!

Modern Literary Theory and The Catcher in the Rye

In this unit, we will read one of the most popular novels in American Literature: The Catcher in the Rye. Here are some places that can help you in your reading. None of them is a substitute for the reading itself, of course.
  • Sparknotes has good insights. Check out the entire site for help with lots of subjects including literature.
  • Novelguide is also good, although limited to literature.
  • A biography of J. D. Salinger with lots of links about his writing
  • Get my study guide or get in here in Word.


We will learn about various literary "schools" and apply one of these theories to J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye. Although there are dozens of different approaches, we will concentrate on these:
Formalism (New Criticism), Feminist (Gender Theory, Queer Theory), Marxist, Psychoanalytic (Freudian, Lacanian), and Existential/Phenomonlogy
Here is a Sample Group Presentation on the The Catcher in the Rye using all five theories.
Top of Page

Research Project: Changing My World

Literary Analysis: Impact of Form on Theme

In this unit, we will look at what "good" literature is, develop strategies to interpret and evaluate it, and analyze how themes are presented in various media. Specifically, you will write a paper evaluating and comparing the development of one theme in a piece of literature (story, poem, novel or play) of your choosing and a film based on that work. Here is the assignment, or you can view it in Word here. Get the rubric for the essay or get it here in Word.

Let's begin by trying to decide what "good" or "great" literature is. Visit George Landow's discussion of the Literary Canon. Follow his sub links and be prepared to answer the following questions:
  • Where did the canon come from? Who gets to decide what's in it?
  • Why are many people opposed to the traditional canon?
  • What are arguments for the canon?
  • In your experience, how closely have schools followed the canon? How do you think that has impacted you?
Next, we will look at how we get meaning from literature. Take a look at this site on interpreting literature and answer this question: where is the meaning of a literary work contained? Follow the Literary Toolkit link and answer the following questions:
  • Do you agree with the author's definitions of "popular" literature? If these things are merely popular literature, what is "serious" literature?
  • Compare the Dramatistic Pentad with Damon Knight's model and with Wesley Kort's terms. Which of these approaches seems most usable to you?
Finally, let's figure out what a good interpretation is. Go to Dr. Dean Shakelford's site. This is a lengthy work and covers lots of issues, but stick with it; there's neat things to think about. He really spells out what your job is as a reader of and writer about literature. You should be able to answer the following questions:
  • What is a concise (1-2 sentences) definition of a "successful interpretation"?
  • Briefly explain the 6 ways Shakelford lists to misinterpret literature.
Our sample paper is based on the short story "The Stone Boy" by Gina Berriault. Go here to read it. Check out the "Points to Ponder" section; it asks good questions that apply to almost all literature. Also look at this site for guidelines to active reading.

Once you've read the work you selected for your paper, you'll need to brainstorm something to write about one of the themes in the literature. Don't worry about the film for right now, just concentrate on the written work. There are a number of prewriting techniques: listing, freewriting, outlining and webbing are just some of them. Here's the beginning of a web based on questions I had about "The Stone Boy." I'll be asking you to use webs (or other techniques) as prewriting for your paper.
Daniel Kies provides good general tips for prewriting. This site from Gallaudet University shows you what some of the techniques look like. You should use one of these methods and have 15-20 ideas from your selection.

Once you have developed a general focus from your prewriting, you will need to develop a thesis. Here is an excellent site from the University of Indiana on writing thesis statements. What four criteria should thesis statements meet?

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Now it's time to begin the essay. Let's get some help with writing introductions. Here is good overview of what introductions are supposed to do; this Word document from East Carolina University also does an excellent job discussing what should be in an introduction. This site from Northern Illinois University lists eight different types of introductions. Find examples of those techniques here.

Your homework is to write three different introductions using three different techniques in each. Use this Form or get it here in Word write your notes and ideas on the first page and the actual paragraph on the second. Obviously, you'll have to print three of them. How long should an introduction be? Go to this page to find out.
If you want sources for anecdotes, quotations and more, try these sites:
Here are three introductions for the sample essay or see them here in Word. Which one works best for you? Why?

Top of Page
Now it's time to think about body paragraphs.
  • Here are tips from the University of Illinois on organizing ideas from paragraph to paragraph and within paragraphs.
  • Check out this site from Chabot College about thePIE Technique. It has other good links to writing tips on the left.
    If your paragraphs seem disorganized, try this organizer for your body paragraphs or get it here in Word.

    Top of Page

    At last it's time to write the conclusion. Here are some tips and example from our friends at Fergus Falls (alliteration!) Community College. Metro Community College in Kansas City suggests seven techniques for conclusions, while Youngstown State University has six.
    Get the conclusion organizer here or in Word. See some sample conclusions, or read them in Word.

    Finally, titles never get much consideration, but follow the link "What's in a Name" for some tips on writing a great one. Don't forget: it's the first thing your audience reads!
    Here is the complete sample paper or get it in Word.
    The Tipping Point
    Go to the Class Blog and look at the Tipping Point category.
    Here is the blogging rubric to show how your comments will be graded. Points will be awarded towards the end of the semester.

    Selecting Your Topic
    Here is a handout on the criteria for a good topic. Once you have selected your topic, fill out the Topic Worksheet.

    Problem Analysis
    Here is the sample Googledoc on profanity. It is very similar to a wiki, but offers more control on who can edit it. Here is the rubric to score your group's Google doc.
    Individually, you will create a Pathfinder using this template. Here is the scoring guide-rubric for your Pathfinder. This is the link to student Googledocs on their problem analysis.

    Writing in Formal Tone
    Scientific writing requires a more formal voice and tone than the other writing we have done so far this year. This website from Washburn University shows five levels of formality in writing with lots of examples. You can also get my handout on creating formal tone for more suggestions on how to sound like an expert scientist.

    Tipping a Change
    We will start our plan for tipping ideas or behaviors by deciding what change is our goal, who we want to change and how we will accomplish this. This portion of the project is called Scope and Methodology. This link will show you the assignment sheet and sample combined. You must open it in Microsoft Word and turn on the Reviewing toolbar (under the View menu) in order to see the comments which describe the assignment. You can look at the rubric for the Scope and Methodology section.
    You will need to gather data in order to determine the extent of the problem in your target audience and to measure your ability to change them. Here are the lecture notes on Data Collection or get them in PowerPoint. Here is a Sample Survey to view.

    Presenting Your Project
    Here is an example of a website to show your project to classmates and guests.

      You can download the free programs we use in class. (I promise they are virus free!)
    • NVU for creating the web page
    • CoreFTP for tranfering files to the web server

    Here is the Project Presentation Assignment. Here is the Project Presentation Scoring Rubric.
    Here is the Order for Project Presentations
    Media and Message: A Comparison of Story and the Impact of Form on Theme

    Here is a list of books which have been turned into films.
    In this unit, we will look at what "good" literature is, develop strategies to interpret and evaluate it, and analyze how themes are presented in various media. Specifically, you will write a paper evaluating and comparing the development of one theme in a piece of literature (story, poem, novel or play) of your choosing and a film based on that work. Here is the assignment. Get the rubric for the essay.

    Let's begin by trying to decide what "good" or "great" literature is. Visit George Landow's discussion of the Literary Canon. Follow his sub links and be prepared to answer the following questions:
    • Where did the canon come from? Who gets to decide what's in it?
    • Why are many people opposed to the traditional canon?
    • What are arguments for the canon?
    • In your experience, how closely have schools followed the canon? How do you think that has impacted you?
    Next, we will look at how we get meaning from literature. Take a look at this site on interpreting literature and answer these questions:
    1. Follow the link on A Literary Toolkit. How does the author's definition of popular literature differ from or extend what we have already discussed in class? Do you agree with the author's definitions?
    2. Follow the link on Sign, Symbols, Meaning and Interpretation. Define signs, symbols and archetypes. Why are they important for interpreting literature?
    3. Follow the link on A Literary Toolkit and look at Kenneth Burke's work on The Dramatistic Pentad and The Pollution Cycle. Explain the basic terminology for each. How is each model useful in interpreting literature?
    4. Under the Literary Toolkit, compare Damon Knight's and Wesley Kort's terms. How do their approaches differ and where do they overlap?
    Finally, let's figure out what a good interpretation is. Go to this handout from the late Dr. Dean Shakelford. This is a lengthy work and covers lots of issues, but stick with it; there's neat things to think about. He really spells out what your job is as a reader of and writer about literature. You should be able to answer the following questions:
    • What is a concise (1-2 sentences) definition of a "successful interpretation"?
    • Briefly explain the 6 ways Shakelford lists to misinterpret literature.
    Our sample paper is based on the short story "The Stone Boy" by Gina Berriault. Also look at this site for guidelines to active reading.

    Once you've read the work you selected for your paper, you'll need to brainstorm something to write about one of the themes in the literature. Don't worry about the film for right now, just concentrate on the written work. There are a number of prewriting techniques: listing, freewriting, outlining and webbing are just some of them. Here's the beginning of a web based on questions I had about "The Stone Boy." I'll be asking you to use webs (or other techniques) as prewriting for your paper.
    Daniel Kies provides good general tips for prewriting. This site from Gallaudet University shows you what some of the techniques look like. You can learn about looping and cubing prewriiting tecniques as well. You should use one of these methods and have 15-20 ideas from your selection.
      Now you can start thinking about the film version of your work.
    • Here is a great site on watching film intellegently. This is a two-part site, so make sure you hit the Next button toward the bottom.
    • In order to understand film, it is useful to know the various roles of people involved in film production.
    • Here is an excellent site on the grammar of film and television. This language is different from the literary terms usually taught in English classes.

    You can use the prewriting techniques to generate lists or maps, etc. to show how the book and film are similar and different. Consider whether the differences are necessary because of the different tools that a writer has versus a film maker. Ultimately, your job is to show how these similarities and differences affect your understanding of the work, specifically its theme. Does changing the media change the theme itself, or does it alter your understanding of it? Does this change influence your satisfaction or appreciation of the work?
    Once you have developed a general focus from your prewriting, you will need to develop a thesis. Here is an excellent site from the University of Indiana on writing thesis statements. What four criteria should thesis statements meet?

    Top of Page
    Now it's time to begin the essay. Surprisingly, we are going to start with body paragraphs.
    • Here are tips from the University of Illinois on organizing ideas from paragraph to paragraph and within paragraphs.
    • Check out this site from Chabot College about thePIE Technique. It has other good links to writing tips on the left.
      If your paragraphs seem disorganized, try this organizer for your body paragraphs or get it here in Word.

      Top of Page
      Let's get some help with writing introductions. Here is good overview of what introductions are supposed to do; this Word document from East Carolina University also does an excellent job discussing what should be in an introduction. This site from Northern Illinois University lists eight different types of introductions. Find examples of those techniques here.

      Your homework is to write three different introductions using three different techniques in each. Use this Form or get it here in Word write your notes and ideas on the first page and the actual paragraph on the second. Obviously, you'll have to print three of them. How long should an introduction be? Go to this page to find out.
      If you want sources for anecdotes, quotations and more, try these sites:
      Here are three introductions for the sample essay or see them here in Word. Which one works best for you? Why?


      At last it's time to write the conclusion. Here are some tips and example from our friends at Fergus Falls (alliteration!) Community College. Metro Community College in Kansas City suggests seven techniques for conclusions, while Youngstown State University has six.
      Get the conclusion organizer here or in Word. See some sample conclusions, or read them in Word.

      Finally, titles never get much consideration, but follow the link "What's in a Name" for some tips on writing a great one. Don't forget: it's the first thing your audience reads!
      Here is the complete sample paper or get it in Word.

      Resume Help

      Get the grade checklist for the resume or see it in Word here.
      Let's begin by reviewing what our skills are. Here is a great list from Purdue University's Online Writing Lab. Here's another skills checklist that also includes lots of great action verbs!
      Here's a great site for both resume and cover letter advice and samples: Jobstar and here is one that discusses different ways to format both.

      Resumes: Here are some helpful sites for creating your resume. Present your skills and accomplishments in a forceful way using dynamic action verbs. Don't forget to look at a variety of format techniques: chronological, skills, etc.
      University of Scranton
      This site has everything! They include writing and formatting tips, samples, checklists and more.
      How to write a good job objective
      You should start with your job objective and here is some great advice. Be sure to look at the samples to compare those that emphasize the job versus those that focus on your skills.
      Format advice
      Discusses formats: differences between chronological and skills format, etc.
      Tips for Skills Format
      Specific examples on how to highlight skills and accomplishments at the same time.
      Section Advice
      Good section by section advice, from objective to interests
      Style Advice
      Specific tips on writing, like using action verbs and avoiding saying "I" and "me" too much. Also look at their advice for creating scannable resumes.
      Bad Examples
      Resumania has lots of examples of what not to do
      Bad Resume
      Here is an entire resume filled with mistakes and how to fix them

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